For folks with the HD radio, are you able to store the HD2 stations?

If I go into the manual FM mode and scroll to a HD station that's got broadcasts on the primary HD1 station, then hit the right arrow on my MFSW, it'll take me to the HD2 secondary station (listed at the same frequency). I can then then depress my joystick and store that station. As long as I leave my electrical system on, I'm then able to scroll between my presets among my channels, including the HD2 stations.

However, if I shut down the car and then try to recall one of these stations, I'm only ever able to recall the HD1 version of the station on that (listed) frequency.

Mine is a 2007 Wk45-build MCS with the HiFi package. Does my radio operate the same as other R56 owners' radios? The manual did not indicate that I'm doing anything wrong (nor give me any better suggestions).

Thanks!
~Neal

 

I just checked mine. I can't store any HD2 station. It stores the HD1 station when you are listening to a HD2 station. It shows the station call letters and HD2 next to it as you select a position to store it in. But when I press the joystick to save it, the call letters and HD2 disappear and only the station's frequency is shown in the preset list. Tuning to that preset, you hear the HD1 station. it seems like doesn't differentiate between HD1/HD2 when storing. Always just storing the initial frequency, whether it's a HD frequency or not.

 

Yeah, as a matter of fact if I change from (say) a FM HD2 station to Satellite or AM radio and back to FM, it comes back to HD1 and not 2.

I think HD2(+) is only reachable throught the HD1 tunnel.

 

Is that a normal HD radio thing or a Mini HD radio thing? The Mini is the first one I've used.

 

This is my first and only HD as well. I read that the HD spec requires that when a receiver looses the digital signal then it must revert to the analog. I see this happening with HD1 stations. On HD2 stations however (where there is no analog equivalent), my display says something like "No HD Signal", and it doesn't revert to the original analog station. It'll re-capture the HD2 digital signal when it again becomes strong enough. I don't know if this eventually times out, but I'm going to watch for it.

 

Aw man. It's worse than I thought. I went and did the Autostore HD setting, which took about 2 minutes to locate all the HD stations the system was capable of picking up. Well, all the HD1 stations, at least. And if you're in the Autostore mode (FM -> Autostore) you can't use the up and down arrows to navigate to the HD2 stations, either. :( Basically to get to an HD2 station, you need to go to the associated HD1 station, then switch to the FM -> Manual mode, then use your up arrow to get to the associated HD2 setting.

The MINI HD radio UI certainly leaves *a lot* to be desired. :(

~Neal

 

Do other HD radios work differently? From my understanding, HD is on a sideband of the analog carrier. Storage of a HD location would involve the storage of another piece of information and, with the technology being so new, it's possible that receivers don't have that capability yet.

 

I've added this to the lsit of Software changes that need to be made, although this might be a hardware change. Make sure I added it correctly. Can you guys store HD1 channels and not HD2 channels? Or can you not store any HD channels?

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?t=109151

 

I updated over there too but it's just the HD2 channels that are not storing. HD1 store fine.

 

Gotcha, thanks. Fixed it.

 

The reason HD1 stores fine is because it is a simulcast of the analog modulated carrier frequency. You are simply storing the analog carrier frequency, as with any other AM/FM station, as a preset. With HD enabled, when you call up the preset it will switch tune the HD sideband automatically. If the digital HD sideband looses strength, it will revert to the analog signal, and back to digital when it again becomes strong enough. This is a High Def characteristic. HD2 is a different sideband from HD1 and, again, it is not the sidebands that are stored as presets...it's the carrier.

The question is, are there any HD radios made yet, that tune directly to a digital sideband. This may be by virtue of the HD spec, or it may be due to the imaturity of the technology (rush to market) or it may be a short coming of the Mini receiver.

 

I googled around a few days ago, because the same explanation made sense to me too (eg. HD presets are actually just regular presets, since the tuner automatically goes to HD when it's available). It seems more than one HD radio that's currently available doesn't allow presets to simulcast HD stations, but there are a couple PDF manuals I came across that mentioned being able to store an HD2 station as a preset.

One mentioned a question in a troubleshooting type section that was along the lines of 'Why does it take a few seconds to tune my preset HD2 station?'. Apparently the digital signal often takes five seconds to tune, and without an analog signal to play while it tunes the simulcast station people notice the dead-air. Maybe that played a part in a design decision (er... perhaps design excuse?) against adding additional preset capability.

Or, as you said, maybe it was considered a minor feature and delivery time was more important.

 

I'm still trying to just find the HD2 channels. What's the "MFSW"? Glad to see a thread addressing the question of HD Radio stations.

I noticed that my HD radio functions as a regular AM/FM tuner and switches over to HD if the station broadcasts in that. Has anyone else noticed that AM stations also broadcast in HiDef? That's a really big improvement.

Unfortunately I know some stations broadcast multiple HD channels. I hear the local PBS station saying they're broadcasting music on "HD2" but I've never been able to find these other HD channels. I just installed a HD tuner for my plasma screen TV. HD tv doesn't act like the radio; it shows all the channels that with a signal.

 

deleted--duplicate post.

 

The MFSW is the Multi-Function Steering Wheel. That one always gets me too.

Yeah- I've noticed one AM station in HD, definitely a big improvement.

To get to an HD2 channel, you need to wait for the radio to pickup the first HD signal. Then, press the right arrow button on either the steering wheel, or the radio. You can't get to it using the Nav joystick like you might expect (assuming you have it)

 

It's worth noting here that HD Radio and HDTV are totally unrelated concepts.

The "HD" in HD Radio doesn't stand for "high definition". It stands for "Hybrid Digital".

See also: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HD_Radio